Gene Gives Clue to Lung Cancer

News Article:
Impaired gene helps non-small cell lung cancer resist drug, Biotech Business Week 2006.

Primary Article
Functional characterization of the candidate tumor suppressor gene NPRL2/G21 located in 3p21.C3. Cancer research 64, 438-6433, September 15, 2004. American Association for Cancer Research.

Lung cancer is the killer of over a million people world wide; it can develop in changes in oncogenes and TSG’s. But after recent research it was found that these cancer cells that are mutated are highly resistant to the drug that is used today.

Researchers have identified NPRL2 a TSG (tumor suppressor gene) located on chromosome 3 as a possible cause of non-small lung cancer. According to this article on tumor biology that analyzed 4 genes to report its functional characterization, NPRL2 is a homozygous deletion on the 3p21 gene that inhibits cell growth by apoptosis and alters the cell cycle.
In an experiment to analyze the gene expression of NPRL2 they found that it was resistant to Cisplatin, which is a ,platinum containing cancer drug used in treating cancers that has already metasisized.

After redoing the experiment the results were different, the resistant cisplatin cells had limited proliferation and increased the chances of apoptosis.

Both articles raised the question, “How will the NPRL2 gene change the way we look at lung cancer”